compiled by Anastasia Kusterbeck
The role of dads is shifting from "breadwinner" to "parenting partner," with young fathers wanting to share the wealth equally, says a new survey. What do today's fathers love best? Playing with Legos. "Building is one of the play patterns that dads tend to be comfortable with," says Marta Loeb, founder of Silver Stork Research in Hingham, Massachusetts.
"Retro" educational toys such as Tinker Toys and Lincoln Logs are making a comeback.
Business is booming at hair salons for kids that make getting a trim educational. "Why not let junior get his next haircut in a multimedia, themed environment that teaches about dinosaurs?" asks Jarrett Paschel, PhD, director of consumer trends for Hartman Group.
Studies show that videos that claim to make infants super-intelligent don't stack up against old-fashioned play.
More women are donating their own breast milk to "milk banks" in the United States and Canada. "We have had increased numbers of donors calling us as well as health professionals inquiring about uses and accessibility of donor milk," reports Frances Jones, coordinator of the B.C. Women's Milk Bank, where more than 100 women make donations. "We are the only milk bank in Canada currently, but we have high hopes that we will have company in the near future."
More Americans than ever are buying real Christmas trees. In 2004, consumers purchased over 27 million trees, a 16 percent rise from the previous year. "Spending time with family and friends to pick out a special tree each year is a tradition that many young families want, as opposed to dragging a box out of the attic," says Rick Dungey, spokesperson for the National Christmas Tree Association.
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